Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Candle in the Wind ❯ Only Fools Rush In ( Chapter 3 )

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First and foremost, I don't own Naruto...  Never did and most likely never will.  I wanted to add an author's note so that people can get a sense of the passage of time in this fiction.  This chapter is still in the past.  Sai managed to get a note to Sakura about 3 weeks after Tsunade is imprisoned.  Danzou is rather paranoid about being overthrown so security is rather tight.  Besides, it does takes a bit of time to get a messenger mouse from Konoha to Suna. 

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      `Remember Sakura, only fools rush in...Like Naruto...' 

      Despite chanting this mantra in her head, Sakura felt her heart drop as she finished reading Sai's missive.  She never liked Danzou very much although his insistent meddling in the lives of Team 7 resulted in Sai, who managed to be a blessing and a curse rolled into one.  Even though Sai and the remainder of Team 7 got off to a rocky start, it was times like these when he proved be a very trustworthy and loyal friend.  Biting her thumb as her anxiety began to build, the kunoichi tried to clear her head and decide how to proceed with this information.  Her instincts told her that she should drop everything and return to Konoha, but she was an ambassador.  Running off to a fate unknown was ill-advised especially since the relationship between Suna and Konoha was not as strong as it appeared.  Even though the Kazekage opened the doors of Sunagakure to the Leaf Village's refugees, that hospitality only stretched so far. Konoha's reception in Suna was lukewarm at best.  Some of the Sand Village citizens grumbled in discontent over having their taxes go to the support of “outsiders”.  Others were just plain suspicious of   the newcomers.  It was not so long ago that Suna and Konoha were enemies rather than allies.   

      Before making any rash decisions, she would speak to Gaara about this predicament. As Kazekage, Gaara tended to make wise decisions and she knew that he would understand the urgency of the situation.  He may even have some useful advice to impart to Sakura about this situation.  It had only been a month and a half since she and her group relocated the citizens of Konoha.  Suna's resources were a bit stretched and the pink-haired kunoichi barely had enough time to fully analyze the village's medical facility in order to improve it, which was a part of the agreement between the two villages.  If he endorsed her return home, Suna's council would be unable to cry foul. 

      After excusing herself from observing a complicated manual surgery taking place at the Sunagakure's medical center, Sakura traveled to Suna's main council building in a complete daze.  While Suna villagers did not view Konoha's citizens in a very favorable light, they greeted Sakura genially.  In return the kunoichi smiled and waved absently, greeting everyone as if on auto-pilot.  She was barely aware of how fast she was moving until she came to a stop before the Kazekage Tower.  The building that contained the offices of the Kazekage and the council was rotund and a bit more imposing then the Hokage tower.  Squaring her shoulders and taking a deep breath, Sakura entered the tower and walked toward the reception desk where, Matsuri sat idly humming. 

      “Good afternoon, Matsuri.  Is the Kazekage in a meeting right now?” the pink haired kunoichi inquired softly. 

      The chuunin kunoichi tilted her head as she eyed the newcomer suspiciously.  Matsuri held a flame for the Godaime Kazekage since she was a genin and did not take favorably to Sakura, who she perceived as a threat for some unknown reason.  After throwing the medic ninja a brief warning glare, Matsuri replied, her tone syrupy sweet, “Of course Gaara-sama is in a meeting.  He is hardly an idle man, you know?” 

      Praying for patience, Sakura gulped down the sharp words threatening to spill from her lips, “Of course he is. I never meant to imply otherwise.  At any rate, I have an issue of utmost importance to discuss with the Kazekage.  I would like to know if he is available at the moment.” 

      The Suna Nin sighed quietly before checking Gaara's schedule. “You're just in luck.  Gaara-sama's council meeting should be ending momentarily.” 

      “Great, I will be going now.  Please excuse me.” Sakura responded and then swept through the reception doors which lead to curving hallways lined with offices. 

      “That doesn't mean you can... just...” Matsuri called after her before her voice faded in resignation.  “Damn Konoha ninjas,” she mumbled to the empty reception area. 

      Doing her best to shake off her irritation and anxiety, the kunoichi with rose colored locks wandered through several twist and turns, traveling upward until she came to the closed double doors of the Kazekage's council room.  Two of Suna Jounins stood guard to ensure trespassers would not interrupt the room's occupants.  Over the course of her stay in Suna, Sakura became familiar with quite a few of Suna's Nin.  Eiji, a tan, lanky ninja with brown, choppy hair and grey eyes, and Masao, a stocky ninja with jet black eyes and hair, greeted Sakura with a nod.  Masao twisted the handle to allow her entrance but she held up her hand to stop him. 

          The kunoichi heaved a sigh before giving the two Nin an apologetic smile, “I apologize. Give me a moment please...”  After pacing for a moment and ignoring the Jounins confused glances, Sakura heaved a gusty sigh and nodded, “Okay, I'm ready now.” 

      Eiji and Masao pushed open the doors simultaneously, giving the Konoha ambassador a full view of the large room with its large, oblong wooden table and ceiling to floor windows.  The council occupied every seat at the table with Gaara sitting at its head.  No one except Gaara noticed her entrance, as the council argued amongst themselves about various issues.  The Kazekage appeared to be observing Sakura carefully, frowning slightly when he detected her strained features.  He immediately rose from his seat, silencing a question council member with a slight hand gesture.  The remaining occupants became aware of his movement, glancing at their leader before following his direct line of vision to Sakura. 

      An elder council member who served under the Yondaime Kazekage, Kazuo Masashi, inquired curiously, “Ah Haruno-san, to what do we owe this pleasure.  Surely our medical facility is doing well?”  

      “Masashi-sama, I'm very sorry to interrupt your meeting...” Sakura began before her voice faltered.  She was fully aware of the audacity of her actions. 

      Gaara appeared at her side before she could continue, lightly gripping her elbow and steering her toward a quiet alcove beyond the conference room.  “This meeting is adjourned until 5pm.  You are dismissed.” Gaara said over his shoulder.   

      “But Kazekage-sama, we still have...” Masashi replied. 

      The Godaime Kazekage raised an eyebrow in warning, effectively silencing the man.  “If you feel so inclined, feel free to continue on without me elsewhere.  I am sure you can update me on any salient points of this meeting if any should arise.” 

      Sakura heard rather than saw the council quit the table and exit the room.  Even though the Akatsuki managed to extract the one-tailed demon Shukaku from Gaara's body, the former Jinchuuriki was still rather intimidating.   After ensuring that everyone else left the conference room, Gaara directed his kohl-rimmed gaze back to her. 

      “Well, that was effective.” Sakura chuckled lightly, hoping that she didn't appear as tense as she felt. 

      “They tend to argue about absolutely nothing for hours on end.  It's troublesome.” Gaara muttered in irritation. 

      “Shikamaru is rubbing off on you I see...” 

      The Kazekage's jade eyes narrowed slightly, “I got it from Temari actually... Shikamaru huh?”  After mentally cataloguing that tidbit of information, he turned his attention fully to the kunoichi standing beside him, “What brings you here, Sakura?” 

      Hearing the concern in his voice, Sakura felt the words rush from her mouth before could think about what she was saying.  She told him about everything happening in Konoha, her growing anxiety about the future of her village, and her dislike of the current Hokage, Danzou.  The Kazekage merely nodded, allowing the woman to pour her heart out.  When she finally stemmed the seemingly endless flow of words and emotions, Gaara awkwardly placed a hand on her shoulder as if to placate the tense medic ninja. 

      “I'm not sure what to do.  I have obligations here but I need to be in Konoha.  Who knows how Danzou will react to my arrival is I do rush back home.  I'm not even sure my shisou will be alive by the time I get there...  I...” 

      Gaara responded before she could launch into another fit of anxiety, “It is obvious that you must return to Konoha.  I'm sure Danzou is aware of you presence here although he has yet to contact Suna.  So it would be unwise to go back without a reasonable cover.  Perhaps, I will send a message addressed to Tsunade pertaining to a medical scroll she has that will be useful here.   It would be unwise to fully withdraw from Suna with the political climate being what it is now.  Perhaps a small and inconspicuous group will do.” 

      “There is a possibility that Danzou will imprison me as well.  I am Tsunade's apprentice after all and the council has been keeping tabs on me for a while now.” Sakura replied gravely.       

      Because she was staring out the window, the pink haired young woman missed the flash of concern in Gaara's eyes.  “Perhaps, it will not come to that.  If you return, you cannot let them discover that you are aware of Tsunade's imprisonment.  Tomorrow afternoon I will dispatch you and a group of Suna's ninja.  Before that, I must send a note to Konoha to make the necessary parties aware of your return.” 

      Despite knowing that the Kazekage would grant her request, the kunoichi was still overwhelmed with relief, “Kazekage-sama, How can I ever thank y...” 

      The young man tersely interrupted, “Gaara...” 

      “I... eh...  What?”  

      “Start by calling me Gaara.  I am sure I have informed you of this before.  We are not strangers.  You saved my life.” 

      Sakura blushed slightly as she grew flustered, “I did no such thing.  It was Naruto and Chiyo-sama who are really responsible for your rescue.” 

      Shrugging off her denial, he pushed forward, “My point is you and your team came to my aid on several occasions.  There is no need for such formality between us.  I'm sure Kankuro would surely agree.” 

      Smiling slightly at his reassurance, she smiled slightly, “Thank you for your understanding, Gaara.” 

      “Don't fret over it...  Just make sure that you return to m...umm Suna safely.  You still have responsibilities here.  Do not forget that.”  Gaara continued gruffly rubbing the head slightly at his near slip. 

      “Understood.  I must return to the hospital.  There is much to be done before I leave and...  I know I said it before but...  Thank you so much!” Sakura smiled obliviously before turning to leave. 

      As the door closed behind her, Gaara stared at the closed doors and then out the window.  Frowning in displeasure, he muttered, “Smooth move idiot...”

 

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This is a bit of a filler chapter but I felt it was rather necessary to the plot. Not much action going on but as you can see someone has a bit of a crush on our pink haired kunoichi. Perhaps Matsuri has a right to be prickly. However, this isn't a GaaSaku fic even though I see nothing against the pair. Sakura is about to have enough trouble on her hands as it is.